Former footballer Stan Collymore, who has spoken about his long battle with depression in the past, was among those who led the backlash, started by NHS worker Chris Butler.

Asda apologised for any offence caused by the costume (Picture: File)

‘Do you actually realise how many people are hanging themselves because of being frightened of the stigma? Wording is CLEAR. MENTAL PATIENT,’ he wrote.

Another condemning Asda’s judgment was former spin doctor Alastair Campbell, who has also suffered from depression.

He wrote: ‘Look what Asda’s selling… what possesses these people?’

Katie Dalton of Welsh mental health charity Gofal tweeted: ‘Dear @asda, did you take 1 second to consider how it would affect the 1 in 4 people who experience mental health problems in any given year?

‘Dear @asda, how on earth did you come to the conclusion that this is an appropriate fancy dress costume? Disgraceful.’

Customers were urged to ‘complete the look’ with blood-stained weapons (Picture: Tesco)

Mind campaigner Sue Baker told the Today programme: ‘Stigma and discrimination is unfortunately still really damaging in England today and this kind of myth of the dangerousness posed by people, that you should be scared of anyone who has used mental health services, is really damaging.

‘(Asda) certainly crossed the line here and I hear it might well have been changed with the addition of mental patient, so it was definitely being used to tap into negative stereotypes.’

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity Sane, welcomed Asda’s withdrawl of the costume, which she said would only ‘serve to reinforce prejudice and misperceptions of mental illness, leaving those already struggling with mental health problems more lonely and excluded’.